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FAI
FAI was a company from Noventa Vicentina (Vicenza). FAI and then FKI (after 1995) became Komatsu Utility Europe in 2000. During the forty years of existence, FAI built a range of Backhoe loaders, articulated backhoe loaders, wheeled loaders, skid steer loaders and tracked, wheeled and mini excavators and for a short period of time tracked loaders, tracked and wheeled dozer and all terrain forklift. History Giovanni Bettanin founded FAI (Fabbrica Attrezzature Industriali) on 2-10-1963, after experience in a dealership of Ford farm tractors, thanks to his father Antonio, and his experience as salesman of some brands of earth-moving machines like Merton and Bendini e Frascaroli. There were 3 factories: Noventa Vicentina, the oldest establishment; Este near Padua from 1986; and from 1979 to 1986, Salara (Rovigo) where the compact line machines were built. The first models produced by FAI were 64-SL loaders based on Ford chassis with rear excavator as optional and 1000 excavator with crawler or wheeled chassis and front or rear bucket and a small range of rigid wheeled loaders. In 1973 FAI was the first company to produce 4WD backhoe loaders built on Same chassis, and in 1979, was the first European producer of skid steer loaders based on Owatonna models.Story of Komatsu Utility Europe The biggest excavator produced was the 2000 at 43,5 tons. For a small period of time Fai sold basically Mailam dozer and tracked loader and basically Sambron forklifts. These products has been sold on very small quantities. Later some FAI models were marketed in Britain in the 1980s by Hymac / Brown Group before Brown Group went bust. The late model Hymacs are FAI machines just badged up. In parts of Germany some FAI machines were marketed as Schutler. In Italy backhoe loaders and skid steer loaders were marketed as CGT (Compagnia Generale Trattori) who were also the most important Caterpillar dealer in North Italy before the production of Backhoe Loaders by Caterpillar. For International Harvester Fai manifactured the 262 backhoe loader model with Leyland engine. The engines for wheeled and crawler excavators were Perkins or Iveco. In 1988 Fai begin to built Komatsu mini excavators under licence. From september 1989 Komatsu became a small shareholder in Fai and Fai started to produce mini excavators directly for Komatsu. Then Komatsu took full control in Sept 1995 and the company was renamed FKI FAI Komatsu SpA.Komatsu history PDF file The machines were then sold as FAI Komatsu products and painted in the Komatsu yellow until 1997 when the FAI name was dropped and all products were branded just as Komatsu. The UK Komatsu dealer Mareubeni-Komatsu Ltd used to sell FAI products in the UK. Fai_first_logo.jpg|Fai 1st logo Fai 2nd logo.jpg|Fai 2nd logo Product range * Backhoe Loaders ** Fai 64 SL ** Fai 67 SL ** Fai 80 SL ** Fai B Series ** Fai C Series ** Fai D Series ** Fai E Series ** Fai Synth ter Series ** Fai Komatsu WB-R Models * Articulated backhoe loaders ** FAI 555 ** FAI 565 ** FAI 575 ** FAI 585 ** FAI 590 turbo ** FAI 595 ** FAI 675 ** FAI 692 ** FAI 698 ** FAI Synthesis Series ** FAI Komatsu WB-A Models * Rigid Front Loaders ** FAI 115 ** FAI 130 ** FAI 180 * Articulated Front Loaders ** FAI 120 ** FAI 140 ** FAI 160 ** FAI 556 ** FAI Synthload ** Fai Komatsu WB-A Series ** Fai Komatsu WA75 * Wheeled excavators ** FAI GTV Series ** FAI GTH Series ** FAI MaxTrax Models ** FAI MidTrax 410W ** FAI Komatsu PW75 * Tracked excavators ** FAI C Series ** FAI CH Series ** FAI MaxTrax Models ** FAI MidTrax 410C ** FAI Komatsu PC75 * Skid steer loaders ** FAI Panda series ** FAI Komatsu SK models * Mini excavators **212 **222 **230 **235 **245 **FAI Mintrax models **FAI Komatsu PC models *Wheel dozer **FAI 22 ABT *Tracked dozer (basically Mailam models) **FAI 85 A **FAI 145 A *Tracked loader (basically Mailam models) **FAI 125C **FAI 145C *Forklift (basically Sambron models) **FAI FC40 **FAI FC60 **FAI FC604 **FAI FC80 **FAI FC804 See also * Military vehicles * Dresser * Hanomag * Komatsu * Hymac * List of Construction Plant Manufacturers References / sources * Classic machinery network * 500 Years of Earthmoving by Heinz-Herbert Cohrs * The Amazing Story of Excavators vol.1 by Peter Grimshaw * Story of Komatsu Utility Europe * deposition at Fapippo by P.Venturi, employed from 1963 to 1985 at Fai. External links * Mareubeni Komatsu.CO.UK Category:Companies founded in 1963 Category:Companies of Italy Category:Merged companies Category:Backhoe loader manufacturers Category:Construction plant manufacturers Category:Excavator manufacturer Category:FAI Category:Komatsu Category:Hymac Category:Skid-steer loader manufacturers